DeMoLi Bridge [designing an emergency connection]

Abstract

Extreme events, including natural and man-made disasters such as typhoons, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and terrorist attacks have become the largest destructions around the world over the years. Their impacts can be calamitous devastating entire countries overnight and making millions of people suffer. Due to the above disasters, bridges are damaged resulting the isolation of residential communities and the inability of delivery emergency relief supplies. In order to provide quick help to disaster areas, an easy-transported, rapid-installed, adaptable to different configurations and cost-efficient temporary bridge becomes critical for transportation of people, food and medical supplies. This graduation thesis seeks to the design of a DEployable, MOdular, LIghtweight (DeMoLi) Bridge as a single-lane “emergency connection”. The instant connection could be used all over the world reconnecting communities and supporting disaster relief. DeMoLi is a Warren Pony Truss Bridge, consists of identical prefabricated aluminum elements relying on term of modularity, creating a lightweight structure. The modular segments also facilitate adaptation of the bridge to different spans ranging from 5m to 20m length with load capacity up to 40tons. The construction process and the final assembly realize off-site (in the factory) and the completed bridge is transported on-site in a compacted form thanks to its deployable capability. Then, it is installed in a limited time and without any special equipment for short term, servicing the emergency needs. After the bridge mission is completed, the bridge is packed and reused in another emergency call.